# Is "Take a Girl Like You" by Kingsley Amis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Take a Girl Like You by Kingsley Amis (Victor Gollancz, 1960) is identified by: The true first is Victor Gollancz, London, 1960: octavo, publisher's salmon (pink) cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, 320 pp. UK Victor Gollancz (London) 1960 is the true first; the first American edition followed from Harcourt, Brace (New York) in 1961 and does not have priority.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is Victor Gollancz, London, 1960: octavo, publisher's salmon (pink) cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, 320 pp
- A first impression states only 'First published 1960' on the verso with no later-impression line; the novel sold well and same-year impressions up to a fourth exist, so confirm there is no 'Second/Third/Fourth impression' statement
- The original dust jacket is yellow paper printed in black and red in the typographic Gollancz style, with the price present at the front flap (unclipped on a first-issue jacket)
- Confirmed against Buddenbrooks and multiple independent ABAA/PBFA dealer descriptions
- Publisher imprint reads Victor Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kingsley Amis |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is Victor Gollancz, London, 1960: octavo, publisher's salmon (pink) cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, 320 pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first is Victor Gollancz, London, 1960: octavo, publisher's salmon (pink) cloth lettered in gilt on the spine, 320 pp. A first impression states only 'First published 1960' on the verso with no later-impression line; the novel sold well and same-year impressions up to a fourth exist, so confirm there is no 'Second/Third/Fourth impression' statement. The original dust jacket is yellow paper printed in black and red in the typographic Gollancz style, with the price present at the front flap (unclipped on a first-issue jacket). Confirmed against Buddenbrooks and multiple independent ABAA/PBFA dealer descriptions.

## Is this the true first?
UK Victor Gollancz (London) 1960 is the true first; the first American edition followed from Harcourt, Brace (New York) in 1961 and does not have priority.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later 1960 Gollancz impressions and any Reprint Society/World Books book-club issue are reprints; a genuine first shows no impression statement beyond 'First published 1960.'

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Take a Girl Like You* by Kingsley Amis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/take-a-girl-like-you
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.